Conveyer



July 19, 1927.

R. A. HATFIELD CONVEYER Filed July 26, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gunning July 19, v R. A. HATFIELD CONVEYER Filed July 26; 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 2 attouwq July 19,1927.

R.A.HATHELD CONVEYER Filed Ju1y26, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 19, 1927.

.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOY A. HATFIELD, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T HELEN S. HAT- FIELD, OF NORRISTQWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONVEYER.

Application filed m 26,

conducting materials in an inclined direction.

One advantage of my device is that it will convey material up grade, the degree of' grade varying with the size and kind of material. I

Another'advantage of my device 1S that the direction of travelmay be reversed, for 1 example, coal may be conveyed from the mine to the cars and other mater als may be conveyed from the cars to the mine, by a simple adjustment which causes the: con

veyer to reverse its direction of travel,

Another important feature of my device resides in means for supporting and operating a trough or other material supporting surface to effect travel of material along the same.

A special feature of my device resides in the slottedfiy-wheelwhich imparts motion to a itman rod which in turn imparts a curvilinear motion to the conveyer trough. This slot in the fly-wheelis important in that when the conveyer trough is abruptly halted in its line of travel by a bumper (I have found in practice that it is not advantageous to have a resilient bumper) the shock of the impact is not transmitted to the driving means; the slot at the moment of impact being at such an angle that the pitman pivot block slides freely therein.

The fly-wheelhas a slot in which a pivot is slidably mounted. The pivot block is connected to a trough by means of a pitman rod. When the fly-Wheel is revolved it movesthe pivot block, which moves the pitman trod, which in turn elevates the trough. When the angle of the slot in the flywheel has reached a predetermined angularity with the horizontal, the pivot blocl: slides along'the slot, actuated by the weight of the trough and its contents. The trough actuated by gravity, descen'ds until abruptly checked by impact with the bumper blocks mounted in the main frame. The successive elevating and sliding of the pivot block constructed in accordance with my invention part1." broken awa' to show more clearly the a fitted fly whee i invention relates to conveyers, and

constructed of angle irons and 2 denotes a material-sup 1926. Serial No. 124,964.

notefour successive positions of the pivot block, the bumper remaining in a givenfixed position.

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 denote'four successive positions of the pivot block, the bumper remaining in a second given fixed position;

1 Referring more fully to the drawings, 1-indicates the main frame which I have shown steel straps, orting surface which I have shown in the orm of a trough swungfrom'links 3 which are in turn swung from the main frame 1. I

The main framel is provided with bump er blocks 4 adapt-ed to be connected thereto by bolts 4 having wing nuts 5. -These blocks 4 are adapted to be fastened tothe main frame 1, through the bolt holes 61in one position of adjustment and by the use of the bolt holes 6 in another position of adjustment. The adjustment of the bumper blocks fore and aft together with other. ad-

justments, to. be set forth hereafter, reverse the travel of material along the trough. The material-supporting surface 2 is provided with lugs 7 adapted to engage the said bumper blocks 4.

A fly-wheel 8, mounted adjacent to [the main frame 1 and suitably driven by any desired power,is provided with a slot 9. 'In

this slot is slidably arranged pivot block .10

to which is pivoted a pitman rod 11.

The pitman-rod is provided with a bolt 12 adapted to pivot in either of the grooves 13 or 13" which grooves are cut in a bracket .13 rigidly attached to the trough 2. The adjustment of the pitman rod together with the adjustment of the bumper blocks 4, reverses the direction of travel of the material being conveyed. It being noted that when the moved aft and when the bumper blocks 4 are moved forward the pitman is adjusted forward. V 1

'As shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5 my device is adapted to convey material toward the left and as shown in Figs. 6, 7 8 and 9 my device adapted to convey material toward ther gh 1 The m terials are conveyed along" the tween 2 by the descent off this blocks 4 are moved aft the pitman rod is also i ated by gravity when the fall of the trough is abruptly arrested by the impact of lugs 7 against bumpers 4. I

It will be noted that the weight of the trough together with the weight of the material therein, causes the trough, actuated by gravity, to drop with such force that in cases where the main frame is placed upon a hillside, the links 3 will swing past the vertical position and ascend on an upward swing, until abruptly checked by the impact of the trough lugs 7 against the bumper blocks 4t.

T he inertia a quired by the material in the downward swing oi the trough causes the material to continue along the trough after the trough has been al ruptly stopped by the bumper blocks l.

In Fig. l the fly-wheel has been rotated to a point where the pivot block 10 has no support and is ready to slide. The trough is shown in an elevated position exerting pressure upon the pitman rod 11 and the pivot block 10. This pressure on the pivot block 10 causes it to slide rapidly to the bottom of slot 9.

Fig. 3 shows the same position of the flywheel but the pivot block 10 is shown as having slid to the bottom of the slot 9, and

the trough, actuated by gravity has beenimpelled against bumper blocks 4.

y In Fig. 4t the fly-wheel has moved, but not far enough to change the position of the trough which is still in the same position as shown in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 5' the fly-wheel has moved far enough to push the pitman rod which in turn has pushed, and thus elevated the trough. It will be noted that in this drawing the pitman rod is at such an elevated angle that it is impossible for the pivot block to drop, it being held in the slotf) by the combined weight of the trough and its contents.

In the Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 the pitman rod 11 has been adjusted in the groove 13 and the bumper blocks 4 have been adjusted to the holes 6 This new adjustment reverses the direction f travel of the material being transported. In this adjustment the action of the pitman rod is reversed from that described in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5. V

In Fig. 6 the fly-wheel has been rotated to a point where the pivot block 10 has no support and it is ready to slide.

Fig. 7 shows the same position of the fiy wheel but the pivot'bloclr 10 has slid to the top of the slot- 9 and the trough, actuated by gravity has been impelled against bumper blocks 4.

In Fig. 8 the fly-wheel has moved, but not far-enough to change the position of the. trough which is still in the same position as shown in Fig. 7.

In Fig. 9 the fly-wheel has moved far enough to pull the pitman which in turn has pulled and thus elevated the trough.

It will be seen from the foregoing that to move the material in one direction the trough is pushed and released, while moving the material in a reverse direction the trough is pulled and released.

It is also apparent that the trough falls by gravity twice per each revolution of the flywheel conveying the material along the trough at a rapid rate.

To illustrate the operation of my device, the trough i may be compared with a shovel. N ow for example, it wet clay is placed upon a shovel the operator, using a throwing motion, must hold his shovel in the advanced throw position until the wet. clay loosens its hold upon the surface of the shovel and slides in the direction of the throw. Now on the other hand when dry clay is placed upon a shovel the operator uses the same throwing motion but it is not necessary for him to hold his shovel in the advanced throw position as the material slides off easily. It is therefore seen that the operator can shovel dry material much faster than he can shovelwet material. The fly-wheel of my machine is adapted to operate at difierent speeds so that my conveying trough will handle wet or dry uuiterial. as desired.

From the above it will be noted that when wet material is being transported it is necessary to allow the trough to remain in the advanced throw position for agreater length of time than when dry material. is being transported.

The length of time the trough remalns n the advanced throw position in my device is governed by the speed at which my flywheel is revolved.

As to the links 3 these are placed in pairs at desired intervals to support the trough to the main frame.

Having thus described my invent-ion what I wish to claim and secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In a material eonveyer, the combination of a supporting frame; a plurality of links pivotally pendant from said frame; a con veying trough pivotally connected to said links and provided with lugs; bumpers adjustably attached to said frame adapted for engagement with said lugs; adriving mechanism having a slotted fly-wheel; and a pitman rod adapted in one position of adjustment relative to said trough, to be pulled by said i'ly wheel and released from the action of said fly-wheel, and, in a second position of adjustment relative to said trough to be pushed by said fly-wheel and released from the action of said fly-wheel, once in every half revolution of said flywheel.

2. In a material conveyor, the combination of a supporting frame; a plurality of links pivotally pendant from said frame; a con- \"eying trough pivotally connected to said links and provided with lugs; bumpers adjustably attached to said frame adapted for engagement with said lugs; a pitman rod adjustalfly connected to said trough; a driv; ing mechanism having a slotted fly-Wheel adapted to operate said pitman rod; and means for adjusting the positions of said pitnian rod and saidhumpers, fore and aft of said frame and said trough respectively, to determine the direction of travel imparted by said conveyer trough to material being transported therein.-

3. In a conveying mechanism the combination of a supporting frame; a plurality of links pivotally pendant from said frame; a

conveying trough having lugs, pivotally connected to said links; bumpers adjustably attached to said frame adapted for engagement with said lugs; an independently if? mounted driving mechanism; means'for adjusting said trough relative to said driving mechanism so that in one position of adjust: ment the trough is pulled and released and in another position of adjustment the trough is pushed and reelased whereby the material being conveyed will travel in one direction in one position of adjustment and in a reverse direction in the second position of adjustment.

In testimon I that I claim the foregoing as my own, I afiix my signature.

ROY A. HATFIELD. 

